160 articles from THURSDAY 20.10.2022

Endangered birds can be protected from predators with chemical camouflage

Researchers used artificial nests to test two methods for reducing the nest predation of vulnerable and endangered ground-nesting birds. The study showed that red foxes can be more easily deceived into not eating bird eggs than raccoon dogs. The methods could be used alongside hunting and offer an alternative, non-lethal solution for creating protection for vulnerable prey.

How can flying insects and drones tell up from down?

For proper operation, drones usually use accelerometers to determine the direction of gravity. Scientists have now shown that drones can estimate the direction of gravity by combining visual detection of movement with a model of how they move. These results may explain how flying insects determine the direction of gravity and are a major step toward the creation of tiny autonomous drones.

Looking to move to a galaxy far, far away? Innovative system evaluates habitability of distant planets

The research framework developed, along with observational data from the Webb Space Telescope, will enable scientists to efficiently assess the atmospheres of many other planets without having to send a space crew to visit them physically. This will help us make informed decisions in the future about which planets are good candidates for human settlement and perhaps even to find life on those...

Extreme weather events have a significant negative impact on skin disease

The skin is a large, complex organ, and it serves as the body's primary interface with the environment, playing key roles in sensory, thermoregulatory, barrier, and immunological functioning. As floods, wildfires, and extreme heat events increase in frequency and severity, they pose a significant threat to global dermatological health, as many skin diseases are climate sensitive.

Ranger numbers and protected area workforce must increase fivefold to effectively safeguard 30% of the planet's wild lands by 2030

Ahead of the global meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Montréal, Canada, which decides new targets for nature, a new study outlines an urgent need for larger numbers and better-supported protected area staff to ensure the health of life on Earth. Scientists argue that there are not enough rangers and other staff to manage even the current protected areas around the world. The authors...

How old is California's Yosemite Valley?

The iconic, glacier-carved features of Yosemite Valley appeared sometime during the past 50 million years, when Sierra Nevada granite was first exposed, but geologists have not been able to establish exactly when the valley as we know it today appeared. Using a relatively new rock analysis technique park geologists have narrowed it down to within the past 10 million years, and probably within the...

Unprecedented glimpse of merging galaxies

Using the James Webb Space Telescope to look back in time at the early universe, astronomers discovered a surprise: a cluster of galaxies merging together around a rare red quasar within a massive black hole. The findings offer an unprecedented opportunity to observe how billions of years ago galaxies coalesced into the modern universe.

High entropy alloys: Structural disorder and magnetic properties

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising materials for catalysis and energy storage, and at the same time they are extremely hard, heat resistant and demonstrate great variability in their magnetic behavior. Now, a team has gained new insights into the local environment of a so-called high-entropy Cantor alloy made of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel, and has thus also been able to...

Webb reveals unprecedented glimpse of merging galaxies

Using the James Webb Space Telescope to look back in time at the early universe, astronomers discovered a surprise: a cluster of galaxies merging together around a rare red quasar within a massive black hole. The findings by Johns Hopkins University and an international team offer an unprecedented opportunity to observe how billions of years ago galaxies coalesced into the modern universe.

Local bacteria help native seeds take root in arid landscapes

Dryland ecosystems cover about 40% of land on earth and support more than 2 billion people, and, once degraded—through overgrazing or inadequate irrigation—they are difficult to restore. One technique for restoring ecosystems with native plants "direct seeding" is promising, but has many drawbacks.

Secrets of Namibia's fairy circles demystified: Plants self-organize

Scientists have puzzled over the origin of Namibia's fairy circles for nearly half a century. It boiled down to two main theories: either termites were responsible, or plants were somehow self-organizing. Now, researchers benefiting from two exceptionally good rainfall seasons in the Namib Desert, show that the grasses within the fairy circles died immediately after rainfall, but termite activity...

Gene mutations in tumors impact radiation sensitivity

A new study identifies common and rare gene mutations that impact radiation resistance and sensitivity, an important step toward providing more individualized and effective radiotherapy for patients with cancer. The discovery ultimately could allow radiation dosage to be calibrated based on genetic mutations. Radiotherapy continues to be delivered using generic schedules and doses, unlike newer...